Modern Native culture on show

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Windspeaker's Olympic Preview

Although the official exhibition of Native artefacts at the Glenbow Museum offers spectators an opportunity to learn the history of Aboriginal people, the Olympic program A Culture in Transition will highlight modern Indian and Metis culture.

Olympic visitors will learn much from The Spirit Sings, says Olympic coordinator Sykes Powderface, but they will learn even more about Natives from a series of exhibitions, workshops and stores he has coordinated.

The program which includes a fashion show, a youth conference, two powwows and a trade show has two objectives. "The first is to create a greater awareness of who Indian people are today," says Powderface. "The program will do that by showing Natives, yesterday, today and tomorrow. The second objective is to take advantage of global marketing" through the Rainbow Lodge arts and crafts store officially opened Saturday Jan. 23, on the second level of the Performing Arts Centre.

The crafts store carries stock from all Treaty 7 reserves: Blackfoot, Peigan, Stoney, Blood and Sarcee and products carried include beadwork, jewellery, moccasins, headdresses and other handcrafted items.

Like Rainbow Lodge, one of the two powwows planned for the Olympics also falls under the direction of the Treaty 7 Development Corporation, headed by Norman Grier.

Performing art

"It will be more of a performing art than a competitive powwow," explains Powderface. "The powwow will be narrated to give the audience the full benefit of the culture, meaning and significance of each dance."

A limited number of tickets are available for the powwow to be held at the Lindsey Aquatic Centre at a cost of $20 each. Shows are on Feb. 16 and 17 at 9 p.m.

And for those familiar with powwow routine, a conventional competition powwow will be held at the Good Stoney Arena on the Stoney reserve, west of Calgary.

"It is going to be a North American open competition which will allow Aboriginal people to celebrate the 1988 Olympic Games in their own way," says Powderface.

That powwow is expected to draw a large number of competitive dancers and drummers due to the attraction of the Olympics. The show will run Feb. 19 and 20 starting at 1 p.m. with a $5 admission fee.

From the dress and culture of the past, Olympic spectators will be transported into the present and future by the scheduled Native fashion show produced by the Alberta Aboriginal Business Women's Association.

"We hope to eliminate typical myths and stereotypes about Naive with the fashion show," said coordinator Carol Wildcat.

"We have a line up of designers that include everything from the traditional to the very modern."

Montreal designer

The feature designer will be Sheila Bonspielle of Sheila's Furs of Montreal. But many local designers including Doreen Healy, Pauline Dempsey, and Sara Van Laar will also be showing their fashion lines.

Free preview showings will take place Feb. 16 and 19 at the Devonian Gardens at noon. The main show will feature ten models, eight women and two men, and is being held at the Calgary Convention Centre Feb. 24. Tickets cost $20.

And not to forget the Native youth, Native Programming in association with WIN (Western Indian Native Sports Association) Sports will be hosting a national youth conference from Feb. 15 to 23.

Lectures, Elders, former Olympic competitors Alwyn Morris and Billy Mills and workshops will be just part of the conference.

"The goal we hope to achieve with this conference is to promote positive personal growth in the youth that attend," said conference coordinator George Calliou.

"We would like to see the participants develop leadership skills through athletic, cultural and educational development."

The 55 youth to attend were selected from more than 600 applicants from across the country. The selection process was based on nine criteria, including: geographic location, academic performance, community leadership, commitment to a healthy lifestyle, Aoriginal status, positive mental attitude, female/male ratio and age (between 14 and 18 years).

The honorary host of the conference is Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Association.

The youth conference rounds out the four part Native program for the Olympics. But Native participation in the Olympics only begins with the program.

Art exhibit

A Native youth art exhibit, sponsored by Shell Canada is on display at the Devonian Gardens through to the end of February. One hundred artists between the age of 5 and 18 were selected from a submission of 500 to be displayed in the exhibit.

Also sponsored by Shell Canada is The Spirit Sings exhibition, a collection of more than 600 Native artefacts. Hailed as the flagship of the 1988 Olympic arts festival it is showing at the Glenbow Museum until May 1.

The museum is also hosting a series featuring Native craftspeople and performers who will give spectators a glimpse into the Native lifestyle, both past and present.

Topics include moccasin making, Native games and the art of Native storytelling. Included in this issue of Windspeaker is a list of daily topics and times.

For those who are consumed by hunger after all this, there will be a bannock booth at the food festival to be located on the 8th Avenue Mall. The booth sponsored by Metis Local 14, will run Feb. 21 to 24.